TDP General Secretary and National President Nara Lokesh returned to the state just a while ago after spending nearly two weeks in Delhi following the arrest of his father and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Nara Chandra Babu Naidu by the CID police in an alleged Skill Development case on September 9th.
As per reliable reports, Lokesh will meet CBN in a day or two during Mulakat in Rajamahendravaram Central Prison. During his visit, Lokesh held deep consultations with various legal experts and tried to meet some national leaders to garner support. While addressing the press on numerous occasions in the last two weeks, Lokesh categorically condemned the arrest and called it as a vindictive move by the ruling dispensation of Andhra.
Last week, Lokesh met President Droupadi Murumu and sought her intervention claiming the arrest was illegal. In his representation, Lokesh said there is no evidence to support the fabricated case and labelled the move as a part of a political conspiracy by the YSRCP party.
Lokesh was supposed to return to the state much earlier than now and resume the Yuvagalam Padayatra. However, he was served with a 41A CrPC notice by the state CID police in the alleged Inner Ring road case. A team of CID officials met him in person last Saturday and asked him for details of transactions done under Heritage Foods. Meanwhile, the State High Court asked the CID not to arrest Lokesh in the Skill Development case until October 4th.
As CBN’s remand was extended by the CID court for another two weeks and the quash petition in the Supreme Court was posted for hearing next week, Lokesh decided to return to the state and resume his political campaign. However, there is no official confirmation on when the Yuvagalam Padayatra will restart.
Lokesh will have his task cut out to chalk out the future course of action by the TDP. He will need to coordinate with the party cadre in the absence of his father and also face the State government which is trying its best to put him behind bars.